


And All The Days In Between

by Dreaming_of_a_Bright_Sky



Series: Medivh's Curse [2]
Category: Warcraft (2016)
Genre: Chronic Illness, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mention of potential alcoholism (canon level), Warcraft: The Beginning AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 15:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7689706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreaming_of_a_Bright_Sky/pseuds/Dreaming_of_a_Bright_Sky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two damaged men struggle:</p>
<p>One is broken by death and betrayal.<br/>The other is left debilitated after a fierce battle leaves him cursed.</p>
<p>Alone they fall; but together they might find the strength to save themselves and each other...and maybe even the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Good days...

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU and as mentioned before, anything that doesn't mesh with the official WoW timelines can be chalked up to that.
> 
> Also, I am making no money from this and do not own the characters. I'm only playing in their world

Today was a good day, then.  
  
Anduin stood in the doorway, staring at the mountains of papers and texts surrounding Khadgar. The mage was scribbling down notes and talking to himself. Some small sound must have given him away because Khadgar suddenly looked up, a smile breaking out across his face. “Come look at what I've found!”

As the younger man chattered away about his newest discovery, Anduin couldn't help but be pleased. In general the man was healthier. He'd regained some much needed weight and strength, though it didn't erase the days where pain ate him away both mentally and physically.  
  
The worst was when the mage was in so much pain that his own magic began turning on him. It arced through and off his body. One night Anduin had been woken by stifled cries of pain. The magic crackling around Khadgar began lighting the room in flashes, and he could only watch helplessly as cries became screams. He'd didn't know what prompted him to slip into Khadgar's bed and hold him. He'd fully expected the magic to strike him down or fling him across the room. Instead, it gentled...sinking back under the mage's skin in complacence.

It didn't make the pain go away, but it helped Khadgar hold onto himself...to not drown in the agony. Because it gave him some small measure of comfort, Anduin kept doing it. Those nights have since tapered off, but they haven't gone away.  
  
It's those times that he slips away after Khadgar passes out in exhaustion. He always waits until he's sure the man is finally asleep, and then he tries to drink his own pain away. He doesn't allow himself to get drunk, as much as he'd wish to, because he knows that all too soon the mage will wake in pain and need him again.

He's brought back to himself when Khadgar asks, “Are you even listening?”  
  
“Sure.”

A page of notes is waved in front of his face. “Then tell me what I just told you,” the man challenged.  
  
“If you can get a group of mages willing to combine their powers, there's a higher likelihood of resisting corruption by the fel.” He waved his hand around. “You also went on about equations, and the area cleansed corresponding to how many people are involved.”

Khadgar studied him. “You're so much more than you pretend to be.” He shook his head and picked up another page. “The damage from both the fel magic explosion and the portal have spread. There's reports of mutated creatures and a wrongness to the land much further out than I anticipated. If we can get enough casters together, we can stop the progression. We can't undo the damage, but we can keep it from consuming the entire continent.”

Anduin moved aside a stack of papers to sit down. “Are you sure about this? So far, you're the only known spell chucker to directly cleanse fel and not be taken over by it.” He paused. “Or be eaten by it.”

Khadgar's brown eyes were serious. “It's why I need to be a part of this. I need to do small scale testing with one or two other mages first, and then work our way up.”

“That's providing you can find any willing to help.” He sighed, and spoke what he was really thinking. “You're going back out there.”

“Not to stay. The area around Karazhan isn't hospitable.” Khadgar shifted to face Anduin. “What I plan is taking a volunteer from the Mage Quarter. We'd take on a small spot; something I could do alone. Then we'd come back. It would be series of short trips. I.. I'd like it if you'd go with me.” He fidgeted with a parchment. “It's also a test to see how well I handle this. It may not go well.”

His response had been a curt, “We'll see what I'm doing that day,” as he got up and left. Then he'd gone and gotten himself well and truly drunk for the first time since Khadgar had returned from Deadwind Pass.

 

The first trip was delayed. The Queen took one look at Khadgar's drawn face and tired eyes, and gently but firmly rescheduled. The next time it was a go. A large, burly mage named Pip was coming along. At Khadgar's questioning of the name “Pip?”- the guy just shrugged. “Wasn't always big, ya know.”

 

Anduin was waiting for them with the gryphons. It hurt a little at the surprise that crossed Khadgar's face. The younger man climbed up behind him and made himself comfortable. The other mage sat his mount and then the three of them were off.

 

It was the first time Khadgar had been back. Though he'd heard the reports and seen the maps, the warrior took them on a wider loop so that he could see first hand. They flew low over swamps where alligators and crocodiles were mutating. The beasts had already grown unnaturally large and some of them looked like they had six legs. Through the rushing air, he could hear Pip whistle in shock at the changes.

Their path took them back over the mountains into Deadwind Pass, and Khadgar picked a likely spot. They landed as close as they could, and he was quickly scrambling off to investigate. Anduin cursed. He got down, patted his mount to be sure it was settled, and followed after the damn mage. He pushed aside a branch to see the fool almost touching a pulsing green streak on the side of a dying tree. Anduin reached forward and curled his hand around Khadgar's bicep. Once he knew was wasn't going to startle the man or otherwise cause him to accidentally bridge that miniscule gap, he pulled backwards. “Touching that is a _bad_ idea.”

Khadgar twisted his head to look at him. “Yeah. Very bad. I was just tracing the route it took.”

“Well trace from further away.”  
  
The mage nodded. He turned then to Pip, who had finally caught up to them. “What do you think?”

The large man studied the sickly energy. “Well... I wouldn't bother tryin' to deal with it myself, but your theory is sound. If'n you say we can do this, then I trust you.”

With a quick glance back at Anduin, Khadgar nodded. “Let's do this.”

The two men stood side by side and the smaller mage began to chant. Pip followed. White light flowed between them and grew into a coruscating nimbus. The light surged forward, changing to the light blue Anduin was used to. It struck the tree, and the energies clashed.

A muted rumble grew beneath their feet and Pip yelled, “It's comin' from the root system! It could be pulling energy from all over. I'm not sure we can do this!”  
  
Khadgar was firm. “Yes. We can.” He started chanting again, and Pip turned to him in surprise. His eyes widened as the energy grew even brighter. He joined in, still watching his fellow mage instead of the fight against the fel.

A secondary surge of light flowed into the first, and for a moment, the whole area was lit so bright he couldn't see. When he blinked the spots out of his eyes, Khadgar and Pip stood breathing heavily in front of the now shattered tree. No hint of fel remained. In fact, the whole area was silent. Not even wind disturbed the air.  
  
Khadgar turned to Anduin. “Can we go up and see how it looks from above?”

He nodded and watched his friend head back towards the gryphons. Before he could follow, Pip grabbed his shoulder. “Don't let him come out here with anybody but me, and some friends I can vouch for.”

Anduin's eyes narrowed. “Why?”  
  
“Look, I knew he was powerful. I've heard the rumors; but there's power and then there's _Power_. There be those who would give a lot to control power like that, and if they can't control it...Well.” The big man looked thoughtful. “I think I understand the thing with the Kirin Tor, now. Khadgar walked away from 'em, and they can't afford to outright destroy him. But they'll do everythin' they can to undermine him, and nudge him into his own destruction.”

The warrior clasped the big man's shoulder in thanks, and moved quickly through the trees to follow the mage. The area was still oddly quiet and he was a bit relieved to get to the gryphons and see Khadgar there. His eyes were closed and he was leaning against his mount. Anduin took in the pain lines around his eyes and the tightness to his shoulders. “That went well.”  
  
Brown eyes opened and he smiled. “Yes. The results were promising! We need to see how adding a third person will amplify the power, and then we'll be able to extrapolate from there.”

“Using all those fancy words just proves you're a bookworm.”

Khadgar laughed. “And yet you understand them.”

“Eh. Had to pick up a thing or two hanging around a King and the Guardian.” He climbed into the saddle and reached a hand down.

As they surveyed the rough circle of brown grass and dead trees that lacked the telltale flickers of green, he was impressed. Maybe they really had a shot at this.

 

 

 


	2. ..and Bad Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two damaged men struggle:
> 
> One is broken by death and betrayal.  
> The other is left debilitated after a fierce battle leaves him cursed.
> 
> Alone they fall; but together they might find the strength to save themselves and each other...and maybe even the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an AU and as mentioned before, anything that doesn't mesh with the official WoW timelines can be chalked up to that.
> 
> Also, I am making no money from this and do not own the characters. I'm only playing in their world

..and this was a bad day.  
  
One of several, and the longest string of them Khadgar had experienced in a while. He leaned heavily on the door frame, exiting the bathroom after having lost his breakfast. Anduin watched the man eyeball the distance to the bed, and sighed even as he stood. “If you need help, just say so.”

 Bloodshot eyes swiveled to him, and Khadgar's voice was rough. “I'm sure you have better things to do than babysit me.”  
  
He ignored the irritated tone, helping the man over to the bed. Khadgar wiped a trembling hand over his face. “I'm sorry.”

 Anduin shrugged. He watched the man try to settle, pain flashing across his features. After a small sound escaped from the mage despite his best efforts to hold back, he shucked his boots and armor, and joined him in bed. They lay on their sides, his arms wrapped around the shaking mage. Khadgar swore it helped anchor him. “There's no reason to hide how much it hurts from me.”

 “Like you don't hide how much you hurt from me?” Khadgar snapped. Then he groaned. “I'm sorry. You shouldn't even talk to me when I'm like this.”

 “Everyone thinks Taria is serene and glides through life never saying a cross word. They didn't grow up with the woman. Believe me, she's got a temper and can wield words sharper than any blade.”

 A weak huff of laughter greeted this, and he was glad to give Khadgar even a little to laugh about. Assuring himself that the fragile mage was somewhat comfortable, Anduin asked a question that had burned in his mind for months. “Why didn't you tell me about the curse?”

 “I.. It...” The mage took a deep breath. “Medivh was practically your brother. You grew up together.”

 Anduin waited for further explanations, but they didn't come. “...And?”

 Khadgar turned carefully onto his back. “It involves telling you about something, someone, that the magus council doesn't want me to speak of.”

 The warrior propped hmself up on his elbow to stare down at the mage. “You care what they think?”

 “They're the most powerful mages on Azeroth. That deserves respect.”

 Anduin snorted. “Respect is earned. Nothing I've seen so far shows me that they've earned the right to sit up on their pedestal.” He paused. “Whatever it is..tell me, or don't. The curse itself- you could have told me about that. You should have. I thought we were friends, or allies at the very least, before you left to clean up Karazhan.”

 Khadgar's gaze was sharp and probing, and something in Anduin wanted to pull back and hide. If the look didn't do it, the question did. “Is that what we are? What this is? We're...friends?” When there was silence, he asked “Would you be doing this for your sister? Your niece and nephew?”

 That was easy. “Yes.”

 “So...we're family? Is that what we are?” The mage closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them back up, he explained. “I don't remember family. I have fuzzy impressions of the life I had before I was given to the Kirin Tor. Some of our teachers were fond of certain students, but most were detached.

“And friends...well, rivalry was encouraged. They felt it spurred us to greater heights if we competed against each other. I didn't care about that. I just wanted to study and learn. I found joy in the magic, and it came quickly to me. My peers...they resented me for it. It didn't matter to me who was most powerful or the best, and because I didn't...and I still excelled, they'd do petty things.” He took a shaky breath. “What I'm saying is that I don't really know what this is. I don't know what family is, or friends. Not really. So I'm asking you.”

 Anduin's instinctual reaction was to go get stinking drunk and try to forget this conversation. Yet Khadgar lay there looking at him with trust, baring his soul, and asking for the simple truth. A truth he wasn't capable of giving. Not yet. Maybe not ever. His throat closed at the thought of voicing it. The only answer he was capable of giving was to lean forward slowly, watching Kadghar for any sign of rejection, and laying a light kiss on the mage's lips. Afterwards, he touched their foreheads together and tried to quell the fear rising in his gut.

 Khadgar's face, as tired and worn as it was, seemed to light with the soft smile that rose to his lips. “Let me tell you about Alodi, and how she's the reason I'm even here right now.”

 


End file.
